Winston-Salem, NC – For only the second time this season, Duke found itself the underdog on Saturday – and probably with good reason. Host Wake Forest gave the eighth-ranked Blue Devils a tough fight two weeks ago at Cameron Indoor Stadium and enters the rematch 14-0 on its home field this season.
In a battle that included 14 lead changes and seven ties, No. 8 Duke lost to the Demon Deacons 83-79 in front of a sellout crowd at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. The loss snapped the first five-game winning streak for the Blue Devils and knocked the team from the top spot in the ACC standings with only four games remaining to play in the regular season. For Wake Forest, the marquee win means new life in the pursuit of an NCAA Tournament berth.
Ultimately, all events of the game were overshadowed by an apparent injury to Duke sophomore Kyle Filipowski as Wake Forest fans stormed the court.
“I’m more concerned about the well-being of our guys,” Duke head coach John Scheyer said after the game. “Sprained his ankle from the flip? When are we going to ban court ruckus? When are we going to ban that? How many times does a player have to be stuck in something where they are punched, or pushed, or taunted in their face? And that’s a dangerous thing.”
Facing a four-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining, freshman guard Jared McCain calmly hit a 3-pointer outside the final media timeout to bring Duke (21-6, 12-4 in the ACC) back within striking distance. Gave. For a moment, it looked as if the Blue Devils — after playing catch-up for most of the second half — might escape the final leg of a tough three-game trip with a win.
This was not to happen. Despite Filipowski’s late 3-pointer to cut Duke’s deficit to 81–79, Wake Forest (18–9, 10–6) won after a Tyrese Proctor turnover with three seconds to play. Junior guard Hunter Sallis sealed the deal for the Demon Deacons at the free-throw line, giving the sellout crowd every reason they needed to storm the field shortly after.
As the buzzer sounded and fans emptied the court, Filipowski Seemed to be in the grip of hysteria, He had to be rescued from the crowd by his teammates and helped off the floor.
Filipowski, with his right knee wrapped in ice, spoke to reporters about the incident after the game.
“It was my knee,” Filipowski said.
“I just felt like it was personal. It was intentional. There’s no reason why they should see a big guy like me trying to work their way on the court and they can’t just work around me,” he said. ” He added, “There’s no excuse for that.”
Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes also shared his thoughts about the court-storm after the game.
“I didn’t see what happened at the end,” Forbes said. “I hope (Filipowski) is OK. I don’t like ruckus in court, I never have. I have been a part of them before too. They don’t feel safe.”
Scheyer and Filipowski both referenced a similar incident involving Iowa women’s basketball star Kaitlin Clark and expressed their support for the possibility of the ACC banning court-storming altogether.
“I think I read that the SEC has banned it and the home team will have to pay a big fine if it happens,” Filipowski said. “So I completely agree with that. It is certain that there is no court uproar in Cameroon. And that’s the type of atmosphere we’ll have in every game we play.”
On the court, Sallis was the star of the show Saturday afternoon, leading both teams in scoring with 29 points and shooting 5-6 from beyond the arc. Down two points at halftime, Sallis – a Gonzaga transfer and the ACC’s fourth-leading scorer at 18.3 points per game – hit three 3-pointers almost immediately out of the locker room to take a 51–46 lead for the Demon Deacons and ignite a 51-10 lead. The crowd present.
Needing an answer, the Blue Devils got one from Proctor. The second-year guard, in just his second game back from the concussion protocol, immediately hit consecutive threes to make the score 53-53 and set the stage for a dramatic final sequence in Winston-Salem. Neither team held a two-possession lead in the final 10 minutes until Wake Forest’s Cameron Hildreth broke the ice, sinking a corner 3-pointer to give his team a 73–69 lead with 4:10 left. Gave it.
“Hats off to Wake Forest,” Scheyer said. “They’re a really good team and I don’t think they’re respected – as I said the first time, they’re not respected the way they should be nationally… They’re top -25, no matter how you slice it metric-wise.”
After a slow opening sequence for both sides, the backcourt came alive from 3-point range. With senior guard Jeremy Roach on the bench quickly picking up two personal fouls, back-to-back triples by Caleb Foster and Proctor gave the Blue Devils their first lead of the afternoon at 10–9.
McCain connected shortly after to extend the advantage, but the Demon Deacons responded, taking the lead with 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions by Kevin Miller and Sallis. That duo scored 25 points in the first half alone, with junior Sallis adding 14 of his game total before the break.
Duke, at the end of a tied first half, managed to pull out a victory in the final minutes – a point of emphasis for head coach John Scheyer in recent weeks – to take a slim 38–36 lead into the locker room. The Blue Devils also led by two points, 29-27, at halftime against the Demon Deacons in a 77-69 Feb. 12 home win.
Sallis and Miller led the way for Wake Forest, but the home team also got a boost from Hildreth and senior forward Andrew Carr. The duo helped the Demon Deacons maintain momentum in a break-neck second half and finished with 12 and 18 points, respectively.
“No,” Scheyer said when asked if he had any doubt that Wake Forest — which entered Saturday as the last team placed according to ESPN’s bracketology — belongs in the NCAA Tournament. “… You’re going to tell me if we win by two, if we blow out three to win, all of a sudden they’re not a tournament team? “I think we need some common sense.”
For the Blue Devils, it was a tough afternoon for Ryan Young off the bench. The graduated center and staple of Scheyer’s rotation was fouled out at 6:05 after playing 11 minutes.
Overall, it was a balanced effort for Duke. Roach (16), Proctor (14), McCann (15) and Kyle Filipowski (17) each scored in double figures. Filipowski led the team with eight rebounds and five assists in the losing effort.
Saturday’s crowd was Wake Forest’s first since January 2017. That contest resulted in an 85–83 Duke victory thanks to Luke Kennard’s last-gasp 3-pointer.
After three games on the road, the Blue Devils return home to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. matchup against Louisville. Duke won the first game against the Cardinals 83–69 at the KFC Yum! The center led Proctor with 24 bench points.
“It’s dangerous,” Scheyer said. “In what other sport does this happen?”
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Jonathan Levitan is a Trinity senior and was previously sports editor for The Chronicle’s 118th volume.
